1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to methods for making a Goodyear shoe. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for making a Goodyear shoe, wherein a lower edge of an upper is directly stitched to an inner midsole so as to dispense with such conventional steps as gripping the upper, driving wire nails, and trimming off an excess of the lower edge of the upper.
2. Description of Related Art
Work shoes made and stitched by the Goodyear process are called Goodyear shoes. These shoes, strong and durable, are suitable for use in factories as well as for hunting, firefighting, military actions, etc. where strict safety protection is required.
Please refer to FIG. 1A through FIG. 1D for a conventional manufacturing process of a Goodyear shoe, wherein the manufacturing process (hereinafter referred to as the gripping and wrapping method) includes the steps of: a) placing an inner midsole 11 on a bottom portion of a last 12; b) gripping a lower edge 14 of an upper 13 with lasting pincers 15, wrapping the lower edge 14 of the upper 13 around the last 12, and bonding the lower edge 14 of the upper 13 to an outer surface of an inner welt 16 formed at a lower edge of the inner midsole 11, using hot glue injected from the lasting pincers 15, as shown in FIG. 1A; c) fastening a connected portion between the lower edge 14 of the upper 13 and the inner welt 16 of the inner midsole 11 with a wire nail 17, as shown in FIG. 1B; d) placing an outer welt 18 on an outer surface of the upper 13 and stitching the outer welt 18, the upper 13, and the inner midsole 11 together; e) trimming off a gripped section 19 of the lower edge 14 of the upper 13 so that the lower edge 14 of the upper 13 is flush with a lower edge of the inner welt 16 of the inner midsole 11, as shown in FIG. 1C; f) placing a filler 21 in a recess that is formed on a bottom surface of the inner midsole 11 and surrounded by the inner welt 16, then bonding a thin sole 22 to a bottom portion of the assembly of the filler 21, the upper 13, and the inner midsole 11, and stitching the thin sole 22 to the outer welt 18; and g) bonding an outsole 23, as shown in FIG. 1D, and performing edge-abrading.
The manufacturing process described above, though capable of producing Goodyear shoes with the desired functions, is defective in many ways. Firstly, when the upper is gripped by the lasting pincers and wrapped around the last, a toe cap portion of the upper tends to tear and crease. As a result, the product yield is lowered, and the shoe shape esthetically impaired. Secondly, while a portion of the lower edge of the upper must be set aside as the gripped section to be gripped by the lasting pincers, it is also required that the gripped section be trimmed off before the thin sole is bonded. Thus, material costs increase as the leather material for use as the upper is wasted. Thirdly, in order to sustain the wrapping of the upper and be stitched with the outer welt, the inner midsole must be made of a material which is less likely to twist and deform, such as plastic, and the inner midsole must be formed with the inner welt. Hence, the sole of the resultant Goodyear shoe tends to be so stiff as to prevent comfort of walking.